Gentleman Jack: I'm just gonna say it straight out: I hate that Eat Pray Love movie. I hate that book.
T: Why would you say that? That's not very nice! I love that book. The movie was disappointing to me. There's no way it could capture how the book moved me. That book changed my life!
GJ: See? That's what I mean. That book did not change your life. YOU changed your life! Ever since we got out of that movie last night, you've been all up in your head. You're irritable, angry and pushing me away. I feel like you're resenting everything. I really think you were expecting it to inspire you, or move you... and it didn't. You were saying that so many women were doing the same traveling as she did so they would feel inspired, right? You did the same thing! You had high expectations that you would have some holy out-of-body experience. Well, I have news for you - It's not your life, it's hers. It's not a how-to novel, it's her experience. You have to have your own life, your own experience and not try to be or live life like anyone else.
T: *sigh* You're right. That's exactly what I did. I did have very high expectations of the movie and I didn't even realize it until the movie was over and I felt let down. And the most ironic part of all is that the whole point of the book and movie was that inspiration comes from inside of you not outside of you....
GJ: Baby, I know that you've been feeling uninspired lately. And I've also figured out that you feel trapped sometimes in this single mom situation. I can tell that you want to escape it, be free and live your life as some grand adventure. I know this and I'm so sorry that I can't help you with that. But you know what? You're the one who taught me to look at the beauty right in front of me. You're the one who's not looking at this moment, right now and seeing the perfection. You're being ungrateful for all of the blessings in your life. If it's because of that movie or that book that you're not happy right here where you are, then yes, I hate it.
T: You know why I taught you that? So that you could remind me in times like this. Thank you so much, my love. I have no idea why you put up with me....
What a blessing
ReplyDeleteI hate really looking forward to seeing a movie and then being let down by it. It's like life - sometimes when your expectations are too high, you end up being let down no matter how good the offering is.
ReplyDeleteI love how Rascal points these things out to you. Sounds like the perfect man for you. ;-)
Love this. So good that we have such wonderful understanding intuitive men. Ahhhh.
ReplyDeleteI could not possibly love Rascal any more! He is so amazingly "REAL". I am so glad that you have that man!!! And that he has you!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteRare is the relationship that includes this sort of conversation.
ReplyDeleteDamn, that man IS perfection isn't he?! And I don't think I could see the movie - I haven't read the book yet but I know it will be amazing.Same reason I couldn't watch My Sister's Keeper. The book moved me, and the movie just could never compare.
ReplyDeleteHey T, great minds think alike, huh? ;-)
ReplyDeleteI would LOVE to go away for a year and bed sexy men and eat with abandon ... but that's not quite how we find true happiness and enlightenment as rascal points out, as I blab about today. That's a vacation! It's escaping reality, which we all need to do.
Getting up and out of bed every day and feeling pretty good about stuff, including ourselves, including the person in front of us — that's reality!
Still, fantasies are awesome, especially if Javier and/or James is in 'em!
Love it! :)
ReplyDeleteGo Rascal! Sometimes I think he and I are twins.
ReplyDeletehttp://dadshouseblog.com/2010/08/12/eat-pray-love-and-spend-money-traveling/
T - he's not there to remind you. You have the power inside you to remind yourself... :-)
That's awesome...R sounds like such a good guy, and it sounds like those were the exact words you needed to hear at that moment.
ReplyDeleteI love this post a lot, almost as much as I love you. I guess I should not go see the movie then?
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't say "don't go see the movie". The movie is good. It's probably even better than good. But, um, don't act like your life depends on it being as good as the book.
ReplyDeleteWhich is apparently what I did.
Pfft. I'm such a silly girl.
Great way to post a movie review. I hated the book. I didn't even finish it. I'm kind of intrigued to see what the movie is about - I might actually enjoy it since I don't have high expectations.
ReplyDeletePS - I also did not enjoy Under the Tuscan Sun ... maybe I'm just too cynical.
"Expectations are the devil's highway." -- My therapist.
ReplyDeleteI loved the book, mostly because of Liz Gilbert's thoughtful and funny writing persona. I also liked her cautious and self-deprecating approach to religion.
But I have no interest in seeing the movie. When I first heard they'd made a movie about it (and then saw the trailer), I couldn't even imagine how it could translate into a movie. The best parts of the book are internal, and how do you show that? It's like hearing they made a video game or soft drink from the movie. Huh? How does that work?